


Was It Worth It?

by Cp1389



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-06 04:53:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18381356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cp1389/pseuds/Cp1389
Summary: It has been 10 years since the fall of Beacon, and the war that followed finally saw the end of Salem. The future looked bright for team RWBY, especially for Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose. Everyone thought their love could survive anything, but then it all came crashing down. In the aftermath of the fight, Weiss left her love and her team behind. She returned to Atlas, restructured the SDC into the Schnee Technology Conglomerate, and made a life for herself. Now, five years later, the Vytal Festival is being held in Vale for the anniversary of the fall of Beacon, and team RWBY has been requested to appear. Will the reunion be a happy one, or will Weiss's greatest secret break RWBY even more?





	1. A Very Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. Welcome to my very first fanfic. I haven't been able to get this idea out of my head, so I decided to write it down. This story takes place10 years after the fall of Beacon. I'm making the assumption that they beat Salem, and that in the end Ozpin's spirit was finally allowed to rest, but Oscar survived. This is a WhiteRose story, but Bumblb is along for the ride, and I might throw in some other pairings as well, I'm not sure yet. I'm not sure what else to put here, so just read and enjoy. See you on the other side!

Weiss Schnee slammed her office door, only slightly on accident. She was not having a good morning. Her morning had started off poorly with a board meeting. Ever since she had restructured the Schnee Dust Company into the Schnee Technology Conglomerate, the board of directors had been giving her trouble. If it wasn’t complaints about new divisions in the company not producing their “expected” profits, it was complaints about her Faunus hiring policies. This morning had been much of the same. Why should some stuffy old men care if the STC gave a fair shot to any Faunus that applied for a job, so long as the best person got the job. Wouldn’t that lead to an increase in their precious profits? Of course they never listened to her when she said that. Not for the first time, Weiss considered buying them all out and replacing them with more progressive members. Perhaps another day.

            After her disastrous board meeting, the lead engineer on one of her most anticipated projects had come to inform her that there was yet another setback. For over a year, they had been trying to create a Dust generator that was more fuel efficient and that would provide more power. After several early successes, the project had stalled due to a variety of issues. The latest? The generator would slowly heat up over time, leading to a small explosion after several hours of use. That was not exactly what Weiss had wanted to hear, so they could forgive her for raising her voice at the poor engineer. She would apologize later.

            Yes, Weiss Schnee was having a very bad morning. She had told her assistant to hold all of her calls for the next half hour so she could sit in the quiet peace of her office and try to calm down. However, peace was apparently not on the menu, because almost as soon as she sat behind her desk, the phone began to ring. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she answered. “Ms. Schnee, I know you told me to hold all of your calls,” her assistant began. Weiss cut her off. “I did tell you that, and I wasn’t joking. They can call back later if it is so important to them. Please just let me have 30 minutes of quiet.” “Ms. Schnee, I think you may want to take this call. It’s a Ms. Goodwitch, from Beacon.” Weiss paused at that. Why would Glynda Goodwitch be calling her? She hadn’t spoken to the Beacon Headmistress in years. “Ms. Schnee?” Her assistants questioning tone broke her out of her thoughts. “Put her through.”

            “Ms. Schnee?” This new question was in the sharp tone of one Glynda Goodwitch,  the headmistress of Beacon Academy ever since it reopened following the end of the war. Weiss put on a cheerful tone, trying to hide her foul mood. “Professor Goodwitch, it is lovely to hear from you. It has been quite some time”

“Yes,” said Goodwitch, “it has been some time. I have been following you work however, and I can say that you have made Beacon Academy very proud.” Weiss actually smiled at that. “Well, this life isn’t exactly what I was training for as a student, but I appreciate the compliment all the same. What can I do for you today? I assume this isn’t just a social call to a former student.”

“Perceptive as ever,” Glynda said with a small chuckle. “As I am sure you have heard, the Vytal Festival is returning to Vale this year, for the tenth anniversary of the Fall.”

“Yes, I had heard that. It is wonderful news. I’m already looking forward to watching the tournament.”

Glynda paused for a moment. “That is the reason I am calling. The Vale Council thought that it would be fitting for students who participated in the Fall, and the events that followed, and I quite agree. It would be wonderful if the world could see the heroes of Beacon back in Vale, and celebrate the struggles and successes of the war with Salem. Many of the teams have already confirmed that they will be coming, but it would mean the most to everyone to see team RWBY once again.”

As she spoke, Weiss knew this was where she was heading. Her foul mood threatening to return, she replied. “Professor, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there is no team RWBY anymore. I haven’t seen or spoken to my former teammates in five years.”

“I understand that Ms. Schnee, but you must understand where this is coming from. Team RWBY was instrumental in ending the conflict with Salem, and it just wouldn’t feel right without all of you. I have spoken to your _teammates_ ,” she emphasized the word, ignoring Weiss’s use of the term former, “and they have all agreed to come. I don’t know what happened between you four, but can it not be put aside for a few days, if only for the happiness of the people?”

Weiss didn’t know what to say. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of her former team, especially the red hooded leader. Those thoughts, however, often brought her back to the fight with Ruby, and the reason for it, which ended their team, their friendships, and hers and Ruby’s relationship, which at one point had seemed strong enough to survive any hardship. Weiss couldn’t imagine seeing her again, let alone Blake and Yang. She also couldn’t imagine them being thrilled to see her after she abandoned them five years ago.

“Ms. Schnee?” Glynda asked again. “Are you still there?” “Yes,” came the timid reply, “I’m still here.” Glynda forged onward. “I know that this may be difficult, and if need be, you would only need to be around the rest of team RWBY during official festival functions. However, don’t you think it is time to come back and try to work through whatever problems you all seem to have? If nothing else, it might provide some closure, if indeed that chapter of your lives has closed.”

Leave it to Professor Goodwitch to cause such hesitation in Weiss. “Professor, can I have some time to think about it? There are…some personal things I would have to account for here in Atlas if I was to attend. Even if I wanted to, it may not be the most beneficial thing at this time.”

“Of course you can have some time to think about it. I would need your answer by the weekend in order for us to finalize plans. Surely four days will allow you time to handle personal matters and come to a decision?” Glynda was once again speaking in the tone of the hard-nosed teacher that had caused countless students anxiety through the years.

“Yes, four days will be fine. I will let you know my decision before weeks end. I just hope you realize that if I do decide to come, you may not get the happy reunion everyone is hoping for.”

“Honestly, I’m just relieved you are even considering it. Now, I will let you return to your busy day. It was very nice to talk to you again Ms. Schnee.”

Weiss smiled slightly at that last. “It was very nice to hear from you, Professor Goodwitch. I’ll speak to you again soon with my answer. Good day.”

“Good day, Ms. Schnee.” Glynda hung up, and Weiss returned the phone to its cradle. She let out a sigh, but it was far from a sigh of relief. Her mind was racing with thoughts of her former team. Yang, the warm, loveable oaf who was always there for her. Blake, who had taught her to see Faunus as people. Ruby, who she loved, unconditionally, for her childlike behavior and never quit attitude.

But, as always, her thoughts went to a dark place. Ruby, who had broken her heart, leading to Weiss’s self-imposed exile in Atlas. Yang, who would surely be furious with her still over leaving. Blake, who would quietly look at her with disappointment and venom in her expression. And none of them knew her secret, which would be exposed if she returned to Beacon. If they were mad at her for leaving, finding out about-

Her personal scroll rang, shaking her out of her thoughts. She pulled the device out and looked at it, and gasped in surprise. There on the screen was the name ‘Blake Belladonna’. Weiss was almost afraid to answer. How could this day have gotten so out of hand? However, she was a Schnee, and she wouldn’t back down even from an uncomfortable conversation, so she gathered her courage, and pressed the button to answer the call. “Hello.”

“Weiss?” Blake’s voice was somehow a combination of nervousness and excitement. “Is that you?”

“Yes Blake, it’s me.” Weiss heard a sigh of relief from the other end of the line. “Thank goodness,” the Faunus replied. “I was worried you had changed your number. It’s so good to hear your voice again.”

Weiss was surprised. Was Blake actually happy to be speaking to her? Where was the anger and resentment Weiss had imagined all these years? She decided to go along and see where it lead. “It’s very nice to hear you as well Blake. I was very surprised to see you call.”

“Oh Weiss, I’ve almost dialed your number maybe a hundred times over the past five years, but I was afraid you didn’t want to hear from any of us, after you left.”

“Blake-“ Weiss started, unsure of what to say.

“Never mind that now. I couldn’t put it off any longer. We had to speak to you, and Yang and I both decided it would be best for me to call.” In the background, Weiss heard the aforementioned blonde shout, “ You decided I would take too long getting to the point. Clock’s ticking kitty cat.” Weiss couldn’t stop herself from chuckling at that.

“Shut up Yang!” Blake shouted at her partner. “Weiss, Glynda is going to be calling you soon to talk about the Vytal Festival, and I wanted to speak to you first.”

“Well,” said Weiss, “you’re a little late. I just got off the phone with Professor Goodwitch. She explained everything to me, including her hopes for a…reunion of our team.”

“Oh,” replied Blake, seemingly unsure of how to process the fact that she had been beaten to the punch. “So, you’re coming?”

“I told her that I would think about it.” Weiss was having trouble understanding what was happening. It sounded as if Blake and Yang actually _wanted_ her to be there. That couldn’t be right, could it?

“Weiss, please. I know that things ended kind of, umm, awkwardly, but it would mean so much if you were there.” Blake was almost pleading at this point. In all the times Weiss had imagined a conversation with her friend, this was not at all how she pictured it. “Blake, I don’t know. There’s a lot going on here in Atlas, with the STC, and in my personal life. I just don’t know if this is the right time.”

Weiss could hear a small scuffle on the coming from the other end of the call. Then she heard the other person in the room speak, having apparently taken the phone from Blake. “It’s Yang. Listen Ice Queen, you didn’t tell us what happened that caused you to leave, and baby sister won’t talk about it. But it’s been five years. We were a team long before you two were a thing, and it’s time for us to be a team again, even if it is only for a few days. You’re company can run itself for a while, and whichever supermodel or pop star you’re showing off in front of the paparazzi this week can take a hike.” Weiss cringed. Apparently Yang was a fan of the tabloids. “This is important Weiss. Don’t you think it’s been long enough.”

Weiss couldn’t reply. If only they knew, they wouldn’t be so excited. Her issue was not with whatever famous woman had asked her on a date this week. No, Weiss issue was much more personal. Suddenly, Blakes voice came back over the phone. “Weiss, Yang and I miss you. We have a perfect opportunity here to get our friendship back.”

Weiss steeled herself for what she was about to ask. “What about Ruby?” Why was it hard to say her name, even after all these years?

It was Blakes turn to hesitate again. “Ruby…well…she’s open to the idea of a team reunion. At least, for festival events. Yang wasn’t lying when she said she won’t talk about what happened between you two. Maybe she’s still mad, but, maybe when she sees you, she’ll remember that you’re her partner, and that it’s time to put all that behind you.”

Weiss considered this. Seeing Ruby again. She had thought about it, hell she had even dreamed about it. The idea of it scared her more than any Grimm ever could. “You’re sure this is what you both want?” Weiss asked. She needed to make sure that at least part of team RWBY had positive feelings about a reunion.

“Yes, we’re both sure. We miss you.” Weiss sighed. In her mind, she knew this was a bad idea, and that it was going to blow up in her face. However, her heart was arguing that it was time to see her friends again, and her heart was winning. Finally she said, “Alright. I’ll call Professor Goodwitch back and make the arrangements.”

“I’m so glad, Weiss. Really, I am. I’ll see you in a few weeks. Goodbye”

“Goodbye Blake. I’ll see you soon.” Weiss hung up the phone. Having made her decision, her brain switched over to business mode. She picked up the phone on her desk and pressed the button that called her assistant at her desk outside the door. “Alani, connect me back to Professor Goodwitch, and then get in here. We need to start preparing.” “Right away Ms. Schnee,” came the response, “What exactly are we preparing for?” “We’re going to be attending the Vytal Festival in Vale. We’ll have to clear my schedule, and find a hotel, and make preparations for travel.” “Of course Ms. Schnee. I’ll be in as soon as your connected to Ms. Goodwitch.”

Weiss sat back in her office chair, waiting for the call to come through. She looked at the single picture on her desk, and wondered if she had made the right choice. Regardless, it was too late to back out now, and soon, the secret she had kept for the past five years would come to light. She only hoped that when it was all said and done, she would be able to say it was worth it.


	2. Welcome to Beacon...Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss makes the trip back to Beacon. Will her reunion with the rest of team RWBY be a happy one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Thank you so much to everyone who has read so far. I told you you wouldn't have to wait long for Weiss's secret to be revealed. It happens almost immediately in this chapter. I don't think updates will happen this frequently, but I had some free time today, and I wanted to knock this chapter out. Hope you enjoy!

“Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving in Vale in about thirty minutes. Just sit back, and enjoy this last little bit of our journey together.” The airship captain finished his announcement. Weiss was relieved that the trip was almost at an end, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. She looked next to her, and saw the complete opposite of nervous.

            “Cerise, make sure you put your seatbelt on. Landings can sometimes be bumpy.” Weiss’s five year old daughter looked up at her and smiled. “Yes mommy,” she said. “When we get there, are we going to go to the festival?”

            Weiss returned the girls smile. She said, “Not right away. The first thing we’re going to do is check in to our hotel room. Later this afternoon, Uncle Flynt and Aunt Neon will take you to the festival grounds, while mommy has to go to a reception.” Right at that moment, Neon Katt turned around over the back of her seat to look at the pair. “That’s right,” she said, “We’ll go to the fairground, and take you around to see all the shops and games and food venders. You’re gonna love it, squirt.” Weiss rolled her eyes, but Cerise just giggled.

            Flynt Cole and Neon Katt were technically Weiss’s security detail for the trip. The board had insisted she have one, citing some obscure bylaw that Weiss would be sure to get rid of. Apparently the board of the STC had forgotten that she was a _war hero_ , capable of protecting herself and her daughter. However, she had gotten to pick her detail, and so she invited two of her only friends in Atlas, seeing as how they were planning on being at the festival anyways. It also helped that her daughter adored them.

            The airship landed a short time later, and the four of them, plus Weiss’s assistant Alani, disembarked and headed to the car with the STC logo, waiting to take them to the hotel. Weiss had grown uncomfortable with the idea of her wealth in the years since she had taken control of her family’s company, but sometimes it came in handy, such as allowing her to afford a penthouse hotel room that had space for five people. As soon as they got off the elevator that opened directly into the penthouse that would be their home for the next week, Cerise took off running, looking for the bedroom that would be hers.

            “I’ve got to hand it to you Schnee, you know how to travel in style.” Flynt said. “First you fly us out here first class, and now this. Maybe you could hire us as your full time security, if it comes with perks like this.” Weiss smiled at him. “Don’t get used to it,” she said, “you’ll be back hunting Grimm before you know it.”

            “Yeah yeah,” replied the trumpet playing huntsman, “Nothing like sleeping in cheap inns while you risk your life. I’m sure you miss it.”

            If Weiss was being completely honest, a part of her did miss it. Even after Salem’s defeat, the Grimm remained, if, perhaps, in lower quantities. Some of her best memories after the war were trips with her team, taking hunting assignments all over Remnant. However, her response was one she brought up anytime anyone asked about her hunting days. “After my father and brother died, I had to return to the company. Now instead of hunting monsters, I use the STC to improve the lives of people.”

            Neon had been listening in, and chose this moment to interject. “You can save the canned response Weiss. We know you better than that. All you have to do is say the word, and we’ll take you on a hunt with us.” She smiled at the idea of seeing Weiss hunt Grimm again.

            “What sort of example would I be setting for my daughter if I shirked my duties to go romping through the woods with someone who _still_ wears roller skates?” Instead of rebutting, Neon burst out laughing., and soon all three adults were having fits of laughter. Even Alani, always the dutiful assistant to the most powerful woman in Atlas, managed to crack a smile.

            As their laughter died down, Cerise came running back into the living room. “Mommy, mommy! Guess what? The window in my room faces towards Beacon. I can see the school, and I can see the big floating stadium thing!”

            “Is that so?” Weiss asked her daughter. “Well soon, you’ll get to see it all up close. The sooner you get ready, the sooner you get to see the school, and the festival grounds.” With that the little girl let out a squeak of excitement and tore off back to her bedroom, to put on clothes less suited to travel, and more suited for an afternoon of games and shopping.

            “Remember,” Weiss said to Neon and Flynt, “please try and limit the amount of sugar she eats. She’s already hyper from the trip, and if she has a sugar crash tonight, she won’t have any energy left for tomorrow.” “You got it boss,” Neon said with a silly little salute. Weiss rolled her eyes and headed to the master suite of the penthouse in order to get herself ready for the afternoon.

While her daughter and “security detail” would be enjoying the festival, Weiss had to attend a reception on campus, where many of the returning teams would be intermingled with competing teams from the four huntsman academies. Just thinking about it made her nervous. In a few short hours, she would be reunited with her team, and to make it worse, the press had been invited. Weiss was no stranger to the media, and had featured in many respectable papers, and supermarket tabloids. However, she wasn’t sure if she wanted the world to see this, because she wasn’t sure how it was going to go.

Weiss let her thoughts trail off as she put on her white dress pants and sleeveless white blouse. She looked in the mirror over the dresser, adjusting her hair, and then slipped on a pair of blue heals. No matter what happened at the reception, she would be able to say she looked good while it went on.

She stepped back into the living room at the same time as Cerise came sprinting out of her bedroom. She was wearing a light pink T-shirt under a pair of denim overall capris. Her little sneakers matched her shirt, and all of her multi-colored hair was pulled up inside a black beret. Weiss beamed at the girl. “You look adorable,” she said while pulling something out of her purse. “Come get your glasses.”

“But mommy, do I have to wear the glasses? We’re not in Atlas anymore. I don’t want to hide my eyes!” The little girl whined about the special glasses that made her eyes appear to be a different color. Weiss continued to smile at her, proud of how cunning the five year old already was.

“You’re right, we aren’t in Atlas. However, there are still people here who will see silver eyes and be upset about it. It’s only for a few days.” Weiss exhaled sharply before continuing. “Hopefully, you’ll be able to take them off before we leave Vale.”

The girl was appeased by this, not noticing her mother’s discomfort, and take her glasses and put them on. Behind the specially designed glass, her silver eyes appeared to be the same icy blue as her mother. Alani walked toward the pair with her own small smile. “Ms. Schnee, if we’re going to be on time for the reception, we need to leave now.”

Weiss nodded to her assistant, but spoke to her daughter. “Are you ready to go sweetheart?”

“Yes! I’m gonna get the biggest cotton candy they have!” The little girl’s eyes lit up behind her glasses. Neon popped up from her seat on the couch and shouted “You bet you are!” Then she caught Weiss’s glare and added “but that would be your one sweet. Maybe we should see what else they have before you decide.” Instead of curbing the young Schnee’s enthusiasm, she seemed even more excited at the prospect of yet undiscovered sugary treasures.

At that moment, the elevator opened, and Flynt popped his head in to the room. “The car is ready for us.” “Yay!” came a unison shout from Cerise and Neon. The group piled in to the elevator to ride to the lobby. Wiess’s nerves were being held at bay by her daughter’s excitement, but she knew they would return as soon as they were dropped off at the fairgrounds.

 

 

            Weiss took only a second to compose herself, and stepped out of the car. The walkway up to the Beacon entrance hall, where the reception was being held, was lined with media. Weiss felt like she was walking the red carpet at an awards show, something she had experienced once on a date with a famous actress, and that she had never wanted to do again. When the media members saw her, cameras started flashing, and then she heard the loud whispers. “Is that Weiss Schnee?” “So team RWBY will actually be here? I didn’t believe it.” “Why is she arriving alone?” Then they turned their questions towards her.

            Weiss simply smiled, waved, and ignored their shouting questions. She knew at some point today she would have to talk to the reporters, but for right now she just wanted to get inside and hopefully find some friendly faces. She entered through the double doors, and stepped toward the crowd of current and former students. There was an air of excitement in the room, and while Weiss didn’t exactly share the feeling, she could appreciate it none the less. She started to walk towards the crowd, looking for a waiter to get herself a drink. Once she had a glass of lemon water, she looked around at the different people in the room. She didn’t recognize any students, obviously, but she saw several former students that she knew. She also noticed people looking at her, and she assumed that their whispers were similar to what the media members outside had been saying.

            “Weiss!” Weiss heard her name shouted behind her, and turned around to see who it was. What she saw made her break out in a genuine smile. Velvet Scarlatina was the one who had shouted, but the rest of team CFVY was with her. Weiss walked up to them and gave her Faunus friend a hug. “It’s so good to see you all,” she said to the group.

            “I can’t believe you actually came,” Coco Adel said while looking at her over her signature sunglasses. “Who’d have thought we’d actually see _the_ Weiss Schnee.”

            “Coco, you see me all the time. You stay at my house every time you have a mission in Atlas.” Weiss was used to the stylish woman’s attitude, but she couldn’t help responding to such a ridiculous statement.

            “I think what Coco was trying to say,” Velvet said before the two women could throw more jabs at each other, “is that it’s just surprising you actually came back to Beacon.”

            “Thank you Velvet. That’s exactly what I meant. You know we’re always happy to see you, and it’s nice seeing you back where you belong.”

            “I don’t know about belonging, but I’m here and I’m going to try and make the best of it.” Weiss hated that she sounded so hesitant, but she accepted the fact that there was no turning back now.

            “Speaking of best, where’s my favorite munchkin?” Many people thought of Coco as cool and disinterested, but when it came to Weiss’s daughter, she was an entirely different person. Weiss had suspected more than once that team CFVY took so many missions in Atlas just so the fashionista could spend time with the energetic little girl.

            “She’s with Neon and Flynt at the festival grounds. They’re here as my security detail, and since most people don’t know about Cerise yet, I thought it would be best if they took her to have some fun.”

            “By most people, you mean the rest of your team.” This came from Fox. The bronze skinned man had a knack for not dancing around issues. “Where are the girls anyways?”

            “They aren’t here yet. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Personally I hope they take their time arriving.”

            Yatsuhashi had remained quiet, but his impressive height gave him a clear view of the room. He glanced toward the door, and, in a voice that seemed much too soft for the giant of a man, said, “Well, you won’t get to wait very long. They’re here.”

            Weiss looked over to the door, and saw the three woman she was most afraid to see enter the room. Behind them, several photographers and reporters came into the room, to excited to see the RWBY reunion everyone had been waiting for. Weiss knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. Glancing back at team CFVY, she swallowed nervously. “Wish me luck’” she said.

            “You’ll be fine. Just remember, they’re still you’re team, no matter what happened.” Velvet smiled at her, and Weiss felt grateful to the quiet rabbit eared girl. Steeling herself,  she turned and headed towards her team.

            Yang saw her first. “Ice Queen!” The blonde brawler walked up to her, and before Weiss could react, she had been picked up in a crushing hug. “Yang! Put me down!” Weiss tried to swat at her, but her arms were pinned in the crushing grip.

            “I’m sorry,” Yang said as she sat her back on the floor, “but I just missed you so much. You look great! Apparently, sitting behind a desk hasn’t hurt your figure.”

            “Thank you. I’ll have you know though, my job is much more than sitting behind a desk. I spend most of my days putting up with incompetent people, something you prepared me for well.” Weiss smirked as she made the small joke, and Yang beamed, having missed the back and forth teasing.

            Blake came up to them, and gave Weiss a much more dignified hug, which she returned with a smile. “How was your trip?” she asked politely. “It was fine. Flying first class is much better than when we would have to find the quickest flight to face down Grimm.” They both chuckled at that. “It’s so good to see you. How…how have things been?” Weiss mentally scolded herself for asking such a lame question. Blake didn’t seem to mind though.

            “We’ve been well,” she said. “Yang and I both took positions here as instructors this year. It’s not as exciting as hunting, but it’s nice to sleep in your own bed every night.” “That’s right,” added Yang, “plus we get to show these young pups how it’s done.” She had a familiar glint in her eye that Weiss knew meant she was imagining using her powerful fist.

            Weiss didn’t know when Ruby had joined them, but when she caught her eye, she froze. She wasn’t prepared for this. Ruby had somehow managed to retain her child like looks, while at the same time looking more mature. She wore a simple black dress shirt that hung loosely off her torso, with a red skirt over grey tights. Never having gotten used to heals, she had on simple black flats, and of course, she had her red cape with the good pulled down. Weiss noticed that she had changed her hair style. On the right, it was much shorter than she had ever worn it, while on the left it came down to her neck. Weiss managed a sharp intake of breath. Even after 5 years, Ruby Rose was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Somehow, that thought gave her no comfort. She had, somewhat immaturely, hoped that on seeing her again, she would not experience any sort of romantic feelings. Here she was though, like a love sick teenager, frozen to the spot with her eyes wide.

            Ruby seemed to know what was going on, and she stepped up and wrapped Weiss in a hug. Automatically, Weiss’s arms went around the younger woman. However, instead of a flood of happy memories, all Weiss could think of was the pain she had felt on their last meeting. She could feel a sting at the corner of her eyes, and she resolved herself to bottle up her emotions, lest she make a fool of herself.

            Ruby leaned in close and whispered in Weiss’s ear, “There are cameras. Let’s not make a scene. Just play along.” Hearing this wiped away all of the fear and pain, and replaced it with icy fury. Weiss whispered back, “I’ll play my part. The people deserve a happy reunion, even if it is just an act.” A small part of her felt guilt at immediately being hostile, but if Ruby was going to behave this way, she would return the sentiment. They ended the now cold embrace, and it seemed as if there would be more to say, but they were saved by the amplified voice of Glynda Goodwitch from the stage at the front of the room.

            “Students, alumni, honored guests. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Vale, to Beacon Academy, and to the forty third  Vytal Festival. We gather here, no longer just to celebrate the end of the Great War, but also to celebrate the end of a threat older than history itself. We are also here to remember the tragedy that befell us a decade ago, and to pay respect to those who fought and those we lost. It is that spirit that we have invited so many of our former students, and former students of the other three academies, in order to thank them, and to remind the world that the forces of good will always triumph over the forces of evil. Enjoy yourself while you are here. Students, fight with honor during the tournament, and represent your schools and your countries well. Tomorrow, we begin with the team round, and I speak for everyone on the faculty here at Beacon when I say good luck, and may the best fighters win.”

            Glynda finished her speech, unofficially signaling the end of the reception. Weiss turned to her former teammates to say goodbye, but Blake spoke before she could manage.

            “Weiss, before you go, I had a favor to ask of you. It’s not often the CEO of the biggest company in Remnant visits our school. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming to speak with one of my classes tomorrow.” Weiss was a little surprised at the request, but she quickly smiled. “It would be my pleasure Blake. Message me with the details tonight.” Blake nodded, and gave her a quick hug. Yang followed suit, this time with a much more comfortable, yet still tight, hug, and a quick “See you later”. Weiss glanced at Ruby, and their eyes met again. There was no warmth there anymore, so Weiss just nodded once and turned towards the door.

            As she passed the reporters, one of them called out to her. “Ms. Schnee, what was it like seeing your old team once again?” Weiss paused, putting on the face she often wore for interviews, a careful mask that was friendly, but conveyed no emotion. “It was wonderful seeing them after all these years, and I look forward spending this week with them.”

            “Ms. Schnee, it looked like you and Ms. Rose were having a whispered conversation back there. Care to fill us in one what was said?” _You wish_ thought Weiss. Instead, she said, “Ruby and I were just saying how nice it was to see each other again. Five years is a long time to not see your partner.” A familiar reporter from the Atlas Times asked a follow up to that. “Speaking of those five years, what about the rumors that your reason for leaving was due to a fight with Ms. Rose?” Weiss had heard this question before, and she wasn’t about to give the reporter the satisfaction of the truth. “I thought you wrote for the Times, not the tabloids,” she said with a sneer that would make any Schnee proud. “You should know better than believe rumors. Now if you all will excuse me, I must be going. Enjoy the rest of the festival, I’m sure the tournament will provide plenty of stories for you all to write about.” With that, Weiss strode out the doors and to the car, where Alani was waiting for her. As they settled in to the back seat, Weiss felt the tension of the afternoon escape her.

            “Ms. Schnee, are we heading to the fairgrounds?” Alani asked. “Hmm, no,” said Weiss, “Let them have a few more hours of fun. Honestly that reception was more taxing than I expected, and I’d like to get a nap before Cerise gets back. I’m sure she was able to convince Neon to buy her every sweet thing she saw.” “Very well, I’ll let the driver know to take us back to the hotel.”

 

 

            Ruby watched Weiss with the reporters, over hearing her responses to their questions. She had to hand it to the white haired woman, she knew how to handle the media. Her eyes never left Weiss until she was out the door. Seeing Weiss again had been difficult, more than she could have imagined. She didn’t want to admit it, but she read the same magazines as Yang, so she had seen all the pictures and stories of Weiss on various dates with actresses and models and musicians. Surely she had moved on. Yet, Ruby had seen the look in her eyes. There was pain there, a pain Ruby had tried to forget.

            “What was all that about Ruby?” Yang sounded annoyed with her. Ruby looked at her big sister. “What are you talking about Yang?” Yang gave her a disbelieving look. “What am I talking about? How about that little show with Weiss? She was happy to be here until you brought the mood down. What did you say to her?”

            “None of your business. Sorry I ruined your perfect reunion. I’m glad you’ve forgiven her.” Ruby felt a little guilty saying this. She was mad at Weiss for leaving, but she also knew she shared the blame. Of course, Yang didn’t know that, seeing as how Ruby refused to talk about it.

            Blake decided it was time to get between the sisters. “Ruby, Yang and I are just worried about you. Both of you. It’s been long enough. This week should be about moving forward, not bringing up the past. Please try, if not for Weiss, then for us.”

            Ruby looked down at her feet. Leave it to Blake to hammer home the guilt. “You’re right. I’m sorry, really I am. I promise, I’ll try.” Ruby would try. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but her sister and Blake deserved her best effort. Now, if she could make it through the week without having a conversation with Weiss about their fight or the months after, she might actually be able to call it a success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Weiss has a daughter. A daughter with silver eyes. How did that happen? Hmm.  
> We got to see CFVY, the reunion with RWBY, and even got Ruby's point of view there at the end. I still wonder what happened during that fight? (I know, but it's not coming anytime soon). The next couple chapters are going to be fairly RWBY focused, but other teams will show up eventually. How are Ruby and Weiss going to move forward? How will the rest of RWBY react to Cerise? Stay tuned to find out.


	3. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss prepares herself for part of the truth to finally come out, but will it go the way she hopes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read so far. It amazes me that anyone would read anything I write, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Some of you have commented with questions and theories, and this chapter starts to provide some answers.  
> Speaking of this chapter, when I finished it, it was over 4000 words. So I decided to break it in half, but I'm posting the second part tonight as well, so surprise! Two chapters in one go. I'm not sure if it's any good, and the explanations and reasoning for some things will probably make some people mad, but if you've enjoyed so far, try and give it a shot. Without further ado, here is chapter 3.

Weiss was standing in front of an auditorium full of students. When Blake had let it be known that the CEO of the Schnee Technology Conglomerate was going to be speaking to her history class, many students from other classes asked if they could attend. It had become such a big deal that Professor Goodwitch had decided to cancel afternoon classes, and let Weiss speak to any students that wanted in the largest auditorium room on campus. It was filled to capacity.

            “I think we have a few minutes if there are any questions,” Weiss said to the assembled students. She had just finished speaking about all of the different divisions of the STC and how what they each did.

            Many hands went up. Weiss pointed to a young Faunus boy with what appeared to be wolfs ears poking out of his dark grey hair. “You kind of touched on this already, but can you explain why you changed from the Schnee Dust Company to the Schnee Technology Conglomerate?”

            “Certainly,” answered Weiss. She had expected a question like this. “As we all know, Dust is a vital component to our society. However, when I took over as CEO of the company, I wanted us to focus less on profit, and more on progress. With all the resources at our disposal, I realized we could make significant improvements to the world. So, I made our Dust operation one division of the conglomerate, and worked on acquiring or partnering with technology firms, working on everything from weapons to medical supplies to new televisions. We even have a partnership with a video game development company. If you will indulge some selfishness, I didn’t want my families legacy to be cutthroat business tactics and shady mining practices. I wanted the Schnee name to be synonymous with innovation and progress.”

            The boy smiled at her as he took his seat, and a general mumble of approval moved through the crowd. More hands shot into the air, and Weiss called on an older girl, probably a fourth year, near the back of the room.

            “This is kind of off topic, but I was wondering, is it true you defeated Emerald Sustrai in single combat near the end of the war?”

            Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss saw Blake stand up and say, “Students, let’s try to keep our questions focused please.”

            “It’s alright professor,” Weiss said with a smile, still hardly believing the ninja-like warrior was now a history professor at her alma mater. “I can answer the question in a way that brings it back to the topic, I believe.” Blake cocked an eyebrow at her and then nodded as if to say _Let’s see how you manage this_. Weiss turned back to the audience and continued. “The short answer to your question is, yes, I defeated Emerald in combat, in a fight that regrettably resulted in her death. However, there is a deeper answer.  When you all began your journeys here at Beacon, you were assigned partners and placed on teams. My experience was exactly the same.  And while I may have been on my own during the fight, I knew that my team was out there, counting on me to get the job done, but prepared to come to my aid if I needed it. I knew going in to that fight that it was about more than who was a more proficient combatant. It was about who had more motivation to succeed. I knew Emerald Sustrai somewhat, and I would not, at the time or even now, be comfortable calling her an evil person. Her motivations, however, were completely selfish. On the other hand, I always knew, in any fight, that people relied on me to be the best I could be. Not just my teammates, but ordinary citizens. When it was time for me to put aside my days as a huntress and transition into my role as CEO, I kept that same motivation.” Weiss paused and took a sip from the glass of water on the podium nearby, and continued. “That mindset is responsible for many of the advancements the STC has made in the past five years. Take the mining program for example. For years, the SDC worked with the Atlas military to design and produce autonomous, robotic soldiers. One of the first projects I presented to our engineers was to take that same technology, and design fully autonomous robotic miners, so that we could remove humans and Faunus from the dangers of the Dust mines. We then developed a program to train those miners on operation and upkeep of the new technology that had replaced them. Any who didn’t want to join the program were given an early pension work well more than they ever made in the mines. It’s all about people. I knew that before the STC could work on making the lives of the people of Remnant better, we had to take care of our own people first. Now, we have engineers working almost around the clock on developing power sources that are more energy efficient, and someday the hope is that we can develop a completely renewable energy source. The board of directors doesn’t like to hear that, because they’re driven by profit. For me, though, it’s all about the people.”

            Weiss paused again. She had brought her answer back around to the topic, just like she said she would, but she wasn’t finished yet. She was standing here, at Beacon Academy, the place where her own journey to learning these lessons began, and she was going to impart some of the wisdom she had gained in the past decade on these young huntsmen and huntresses in training.

            “All of you are training to become huntsmen and huntresses, sharpening your minds and perfecting your combat techniques. You all have your own reasons for choosing this path, but whether you realize it or not, you are all connected by a common purpose. This life is one of dedication and sacrifice. You have unique skills and extraordinary gifts, and it will be your jobs to protect the people of Remnant from the forces of evil that seek to cause them harm. Some of you may join the ranks of legendary hunters that have come before, some of you may find jobs as protectors to towns and villages, and some of you may, like myself, find yourself following other paths in your lives. It is important that you always remember that whatever path life takes you on, there will always be people that you can help, just by being the best version of yourself. If you take anything away from my visit today, I hope it is that.”

            The auditorium was silent for a heartbeat, and then the assembled students broke out into applause. Blake joined Weiss at the podium, and as the nice died away, she spoke to the crowd. “Well students, I can’t imagine a better way to end this guest lecture. I would like to thank Ms. Schnee for agreeing to speak to day, and also Professor Goodwitch and the rest of my colleagues for allowing this assembly to go beyond my classroom. Have a wonderful evening, and enjoy yourselves at the rest of the festival activities this week.”

            As the students began to file out of the room, several of the professors that had attended to hear Weiss speak began moving towards the stage. After accepting words of congratulations from several of her former teachers, Weiss began to collect her belongings in order to head back to her hotel. First though, she needed to ask Blake something.

            “Blake,” Weiss said to her Faunus friend, who was making sure the auditorium was left in a presentable state for the next group that would use it. “I was wondering if you and Yang would like to join me for dinner tonight?” Here came the part she was the most nervous about. “There’s…someone I would like for you both to meet.” Blake looked at the white haired woman quizzically. “Someone?” Blake asked.

            “Yes, she’s someone very important to me, and it would mean the world to me if you both could meet her.”

            Blake thought for a minute. She smiled at Weiss, and Weiss knew what she was thinking. _Let her think what she wants. She’ll be very surprised when she finds it’s not at all what she’s thinking._

            “Weiss, if it’s that important to you, why don’t you come to our apartment. Yang and I can cook dinner.” Weiss was surprised. “Blake, that sounds lovely. Wait, _our_ apartment?” Weiss knew her friends were together. They had been for years. When she had left, though, they had each lived in separate apartments, each desiring their own space.

Blake laughed as she answered. “Yes our apartment. We’ve been together for over eight years, and when we started teaching here, it just made the most sense.”

“I’m happy for you both. You two are perfect for each other,” Weiss said sincerely.

“Thank you. So I’ll let Yang know we need food for five-“Blake started, but Weiss quickly interrupted. “Five? Why five?” Weiss asked, but she was already afraid she knew the answer.

“Well, Ruby is staying with us this week so she wouldn’t have to travel as much.” Weiss’s already pale face lost even more color. There was no way she was prepared for this plan to include Ruby. “Blake, Ruby can’t be there.”

“Weiss, I know you two have your history, but she’s staying there, we can’t just kick her out. Besides, if this person is that important to you, don’t you think the entire team deserves to meet her?” Weiss didn’t want to give her secret away just yet, but she had to think of a way to convince Blake. “Blake, I fully intend for Ruby to meet her this week, but tonight isn’t the night. Like you said, we have a history, and I feel like Ruby and I need to have a conversation with each other first. I feel like that would only be fair.”

Blake seemed to consider this. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll talk to Yang, we’ll figure some way to convince Ruby to give us a few hours. Only if you promise me that you _will_ talk to Ruby. She deserves that, at least.”

“I promise Blake. Part of the reason I even agreed to come this week was to do this. Just…not tonight. Not with her.” Blake was always one of the most understanding people she had known, which is why she was talking to her instead of making her request to Yang. “I’ll give you our address,” Blake said. “How does 7 sound for dinner?”

“That sounds lovely. I can’t wait.” Weiss only hoped that everything went well. She didn’t know what she’d do if it didn’t.

 

 

            “So let me get this straight. Weiss wants us to meet her new girlfriend, and she doesn’t want Ruby here?” Yang wasn’t upset, she just didn’t seem to be processing that her little sisters ex was bringing her new girlfriend over to their house in a few hours. “Yes,” Blake sighed. “And you and I are going to be nice and supportive about it.”

            Ruby was listening to their conversation from a stool at the kitchen island. Blake had told them both about Weiss’s request. Ruby understood why Weiss didn’t want her to be there, and honestly, she wasn’t sure she would be comfortable being there. Sure, Ruby had been on dates, and some of them had made it to multiple dates, but her relationship with Weiss was still the only serious one she’d ever had. Now Weiss was going to bring someone _important_ over. Yeah, she definitely didn’t want to be here.

            “Ruby” Yang addressed her, “are you gonna be ok leaving for a bit?” “I’ll be more than ok. I’ll call Jaune and see if JNR wants to have a little RNJR reunion at the festival.” Ruby smiled at the thought, but Yang still looked skeptical. “Trust me Yang, meeting Weiss’s girlfriend is the very last thing I want to do tonight.”

            Yang sighed. “Alright, if you’re sure.” Yang pulled Ruby into a warm side hug. Blake smiled at them both, and began pulling things out to prepare dinner. “Don’t worry Ruby,” Blake said, “if she’s awful, we’ll be sure to do our part to make her uncomfortable.” Ruby giggled, and hopped off the stool to go call Jaune. She wasn’t sure how she felt about this new development with her former partner, but she knew she could count on Blake and Yang.

 

 

            Weiss glanced over at her daughter in the seat next to her. If she hadn’t been wearing a seat belt, Weiss was sure the little girl would be bouncing all over the backseat. She was happy that Cerise was excited, but she couldn’t help but be scared. In a few minutes, Yang and Blake would find out that Weiss was a mother. She knew they would ask questions, and she felt prepared to answer, but she was still nervous. She looked at Cerise again, and felt a bit of guilt. She was wearing the glasses again to hide her eye color, but Weiss had also had the girl dye her hair to an even white, to hide her red tips. It was one of the things Weiss loved most about her daughter, but for this first meeting, Weiss wasn’t prepared for _those_ questions.

            The car pulled up in front of the apartment building, and Weiss took a deep breath. Cerise, who had been bouncing with excitement before, looked like she was about to burst at the seams. “Mommy, am I really meeting your friends from your stories?” Weiss smiled at her. “Yes, Blake and Yang. Are you nervous?” “Nope!” Cerise beamed up at her mother.

            Flynt and Neon were in the front seat of the town car, having chosen to drive the Schnees themselves. Flynt turned around from the driver’s seat to address Weiss. “We’ll park, and then stay in the lobby in case you need us.” Weiss rolled her eyes at him. “You two don’t have to waste your evening here. Go do something while you have the time to yourself.” They had been having this argument for several hours, ever since Weiss had informed them about the dinner. “Weiss, we’re here as your security, this is what security does. I don’t expect trouble, but we need to be ready for anything.” Weiss hated that they would spend an evening just sitting in the lobby of an unfamiliar apartment building, but she was appreciative for her two friends all the same. “Thank you. Both of you. This trip wouldn’t be possible without you, and I hope you both realize how much it means to me.” Before anymore could be said, Cerise blurted out, “Enough talking, let’s go already!” The adults all laughed, and Weiss unbuckled her daughter and they exited the vehicle together.

            They entered the lobby, and Weiss couldn’t help but look around approvingly at the clean, modern building. She was happy that her friends had found a home that was well taken care of. Finding an elevator off to the side, Weiss and Cerise rode to the third floor, where Blake and Yang’s apartment was located. Cerise had insisted on pushing the button, feeling proud that she hadn’t needed her mother’s help to identify the correct number.

            It wasn’t long before the mother and daughter pair were standing in front of apartment 3B. Weiss knocked 3 times, then reached down for her daughters hand. It amazed her how that tiny appendage could take away all her worries and her fears, if only for a moment. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Yang Xiao Long stood beaming at them. “Hey Weiss! Hey Weiss’s…” Yang paused as her eyes drifted down to land on Cerise. “…small person?”

            Weiss took a deep breath. “Yang, I would like you to meet my daughter Cerise.” She smiled at the girl still holding her hand. “Cerise, this is one of my oldest friends, Yang Xiao Long.” Yang, for one of the first times in her life, was speechless. All she could do was open and close her mouth, but no words would come out.

            “Yang, is that them?” Blake’s shout from somewhere deeper in the apartment seemed to bring Yang back to reality. “Uh, follow me,” she said, waving them into the apartment. Weiss and Cerise stepped in together, and followed Yang towards the kitchen. Blake was standing with her back to them. “Blake, Weiss is here.” Blake turned around with a smile, but it quickly dropped when she saw Cerise. “Uhhh” “Blake,” Yang said, “this is Weiss’s _daughter_ , Cerise.”

Blake quickly composed herself, and her smile returned. ”Hello Cerise. I’m Blake. It’s wonderful to meet you.” Cerise couldn’t contain herself any longer. Pulling her hand free from her mother’s, she looked up at Blake and Yang. “You two are in all of mommy’s stories. She told me about when you were all in school, and when you went to Haven, and when you stole the airship. I’m so happy!” Blake and Yang both laughed at the girls enthusiasm. Blake said, “Well, dinner is ready. Yang, why don’t you take Cerise to wash her hands, and Weiss and I will set the table.” “Sure thing. Follow me kiddo!” Yang led the still chattering little girl out of the room towards the bathroom. Blake grabbed a plate of food and handed it to Weiss, then grabbed another item and lead the way into the small dining room off the kitchen. “So, care to explain how you have a daughter?” Blake asked as if she was asking about the weather. Weiss had been prepared for this. “Blake, I promise, I’ll answer any questions you and Yang have, but let’s do it after diner. You saw how excited she was to meet you both. Let’s focus on that, at least until after we eat.” Blake considered her white haired friend, before sighing. “Fine, but after dinner, you will answer my questions.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there was chapter 3. I tried to give some reasoning for why the SDC became the STC when Weiss took over, and we got to see the beginning of what is sure to be a stressful night. More answers come in chapter 4. Thanks for reading.


	4. Thank You for Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner is over, and now it's time for answers. How will Blake and Yang react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's the second part. It's not as long as the last chapter, but there is a ton of information in here, so I thought it worked best on its own. Thank you all for reading. We're finally getting answers, and even more angst. Before healing can begin, everything needs to be on the table, and it starts here.

Dinner ended with fits of laughter. Blake and Yang were delighted to hear retellings of their youthful adventures from Cerise, based on the bedtime stories Weiss had told her. “Blake, Yang, thank you. Dinner was delicious. Cerise, what do you say?” “Thank you! It was sooo good!”

            “It was our pleasure,” said Blake. “Yeah,” added Yang, “we should be thanking you for your great stories.” Cerise broke out into a huge grin. She turned to look at her mother. “See mommy, I told you they were the best stories.” Weiss laughed. “You’re right. Much better than fairy tales.” “Well, let’s get this cleaned up. Cerise, why don’t you head into the living room and watch some TV, if that’s ok with you mother.” Weiss knew Blake was trying to spare her daughter from participating in the interrogation that was coming now that the meal had finished. “Yes, that will be fine,” said Weiss.

            Cerise took off toward the living room with a wave, and the three adults gathered dirty dishes and headed toward the kitchen. Blake seemed to be sniffing her stack of plates. Yang noticed, and asked, “Blake, what’s wrong?” “I kept getting a strange scent during dinner, but everything tasted fine. Did you two notice anything?” Weiss and Yang both shook their heads no. As they deposited their dishes in the sink, Yang turned towards Weiss. “Alright Ice Queen, spill. How in the hell do you have a daughter, and how are we just now finding out about it.”

            Weiss was ready. She had prepared her story, ready to tell the truth while leaving out some parts that she was sure would cause a fight. Before she could get a word out though, Cerise came bounding into the kitchen, and to Weiss’s horror, her glasses were off and in her hand. “Mommy, will you hold my glasses. They make the colors on the TV look funny.” She placed the glasses in Weiss’s hand and took off again. Weiss glanced over at her friends, hoping they had missed seeing the girls eye color. “Weiss,” Blake said, barely above a whisper, “why does your daughter have silver eyes?” They hadn’t missed it, and Weiss knew she had to come clean with everything. She pulled out her scroll, and hastily sent a message to Neon. _Come get Cerise now and wait for me in the car._ Weiss was afraid there would be yelling, and she didn’t want her daughter to hear.

            “Do you all remember my trip to Vacuo? The one I was on before…I left?” Blake and Yang both nodded, and Weiss could tell they were both holding back anger. “There was a doctor there doing genetics work for fertility, and I was going to meet with him about the STC funding his research. When I met with him, I was amazed by what he showed me, but the thing that caught my attention the most was his work with same sex couples. He had found a way to take the DNA of two people, regardless of sex, and create a viable embryo.”

            “Weiss, tell me you didn’t do what I think you’re saying.” Blake finally spoke. Weiss flinched, but she continued. “I was young, and in love, and there was no guarantee that it would take. We had always fantasized about children, but we thought it was just a dream. I thought it would be a romantic surprise.”

            Before anyone else could say anything, a knock came at the door. “That’s Flynt and Neon,” Weiss told the other two. “They’re here to get Cerise. I’ll stay and finish explaining, but I don’t want to hear us arguing.” Yang nodded, but she seemed rooted to the floor. Blake went to answer the door, and Weiss went to collect her daughter from the living room. “Cerise, Flynt and Neon are here. Go down to the car with them, and when mommy gets done talking, we can all go and get ice cream. How does that sound?” Cerise jumped up from where she was sitting in the floor. “Ice cream!” She took off toward the front door. When Weiss made it to the entrance, she saw that Yang was standing next to Blake, and Neon and Flynt were waiting just outside the open door. Cerise looked at the two hosts for the evening, and put on her best Schnee face. “Thank you so much for dinner. I’m so glad I got to meet you both. I can’t wait to see you again soon!” Blake smiled at the girl. “It was our pleasure having you. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other soon.” Yang still hadn’t spoken, but she knelt down and scooped the girl into a giant hug. Cerise squealed with delight.

            Flynt gave Weiss a worried look, but she shook her head to let him know not to say anything. Neon addressed Cerise, “Come on pipsqueak, you can play games on my scroll while we wait on your mom.”

Blake closed the door behind them, and Weiss knew the conversation was going to continue right there. “So,” the Faunus began, “you underwent an experimental medical procedure in an effort to get pregnant with Ruby’s baby. Is that the gist of it?”

“Yes. When I came back, it was still too soon to know if it had worked. Then Ruby and I had our fight, and…well, I left. Eight months later, Cerise was born.”

“Does Ruby know?” Yang finally spoke. Her tone was even, devoid of any emotion. “It came up during the fight, but like I said, I didn’t even know if it had worked. I sent her a letter after the birth, but I never heard from her, and seeing as how she’s never said anything to you, I can only assume it never made it to her.”

Yang only nodded. Blake gave her a worried look. “Yang…” she said hesitantly.  Weiss expected Yang to explode, but surprisingly, she just shook her head and walked off. “You dyed her hair didn’t you?” Blake asked. Weiss nodded and said, “Yes. She has red tips, and…I was trying to hide it. Blake, I’m so sorry.” “Well, that explains the strange smell anyways.”

Weiss couldn’t stop herself. She started crying. She had expected this night to be tough, but it had gone worse than she could have imagined. “Weiss, will you at least tell me what the fight was about?” Weiss shook her head at Blakes question. “I think it would be better,” she began, not hearing the door behind her open, “if it came from Ruby. Just know that it was all my fault.” Weiss turned around and almost ran into a very surprised Ruby Rose. Weiss pushed past her and out the door.

 

 

            Ruby couldn’t help but feel frustrated as she rode the elevator up to Yang and Blakes floor. She had been having a great time at the festival, and it had even served to take her mind off Weiss and her new girlfriend. Then Jaune had decided he could handle a ride, and had lived up to the old nickname ‘Vomit Bot’. That wouldn’t have been much of a problem, if he hadn’t managed to throw up all over Nora. Ren had decided to take them back to their hotel, and Ruby didn’t exactly feel like wondering the festival on her own, so she had steeled her resolve and decided to head back to the apartment. If Weiss and her _guest_ were still there, she could use her semblance to make it to the guestroom before she had to see anyone.

            The elevator doors opened, and standing in front of her were Flynt Coal and Neon Katt. “Oh hi. What are you guys doing here?” “Oh, hey Ruby,” said Neon. That was when Ruby noticed the little girl standing between them. She looked up at Ruby with a look of wonder on her face. “You’re Ruby? Oh my gosh! You’re the fourth member of team RWBY! My mom has told me all about you!”

            “You’re mom?” Ruby took in the girl in front of her. She had white hair down past her shoulders, and her eyes…”You have silver eyes,” Ruby said. Suddenly, everything clicked. Weiss hadn’t brought a girlfriend to meet Blake and Yang. She had brought her daughter. She had brought _their_ daughter. Ruby’s darkest secret, the daughter she had never met, the reason she would never talk about her break up with Weiss, was standing right in front of her.

            “Yeah,” said the girl, “my mom says they’re her favorite thing in the whole wide world. I bet she’ll be so excited to see you. She always tells me bedtime stories about all of your adventures together.” Ruby couldn’t help but smile at the girl. “Is that right?” “Yeah! I’ve always wanted to meet you, and now you’re here, and we’re going to get ice cream, and oh my gosh, you should come with us to get ice cream!” If Ruby had had any doubt that the girl was really hers, it had all been wiped away by her excited outburst.

            Flynt and Neon had not managed to look comfortable since the elevator had opened. Neon looked down at the girl and said, “Now, now munchkin. I’m sure Ruby has things to do, and your mom is gonna be out soon.”

            “Aww man. Maybe next time?” She directed this question at Ruby. Ruby nodded. “Sure thing, if it’s ok with your mom.” The girl smiled. “Awesome! Goodnight Ruby!” Ruby stepped out of the elevator so the trio could get on, and she waved as the doors closed. Her heart ached, and all she wanted was to go hide in the guest room and cry.

            Making her way to the apartment door, she could hear voices from the other side. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Weiss and Blake were standing there, and Weiss was crying. “I think it would be better if it came from Ruby,” Weiss was saying to Blake. “Just know that it was all my fault.” She turned around and saw Ruby, only pausing for a second, before pushing past her and out the door.  Ruby turned to look at Blake, who’s expression was a mixture of impatient anger and concern. Over her shoulder, Ruby saw Yang come down the hallway. She looked at them both, knowing that tonight was finally the night she would have to talk about everything that had happened five years ago. “She’s wrong,” Ruby said, “it wasn’t her fault. It was mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. Is it perfect? No. Did I make up science for the convenience of the story? Absolutely. I hope that even if you think it's silly, you at least understand what I'm going for here.
> 
> The Ruby POV at the end happens at the same time as the last bit of the Weiss POV. I hope that was clear.
> 
> Also, if you're mad at Weiss or Ruby, be patient. Everything is going to become clearer in the next couple of chapters. Stick with me if you can. Again, thank you for reading. Comments are always appreciated, even if they tell me you hate the story! See you in Chapter 5.


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